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Go, Speed Racer, Go! Legendary Mach 5 Racecar To Be Offered on eBay

20 June 2000

Pop Culture Vehicle Goes on the 'Auction Block' June 19

          
           

    LOS ANGELES - The only fully functioning Mach 5 racecar -- made famous in 
the hit cartoon series Speed Racer(C)-- will be offered on eBay, the world's 
leading person-to-person online trading community.

    Kicking off June 19 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, the Mach 5 auction will be
hosted on eBay's recently launched automobile site, eBay Motors.  The bidding 
will continue for ten days, wrapping on June 29.

    Community Benefit Alliance, LLC (CBA) recently built the renowned Mach 5
on behalf of the Child Safety Network (CSN), an organization dedicated to
promoting child safety and protection issues across the country.  Based on the
famous cartoon Mach 5, the full-scale racecar has a top speed of 185 mph,
front saw-blade cutters, a special hydraulic system for jumping as well as
interactive voice responses to buttons on the steering wheel.  Project cost
for the vehicle was more than $350,000.

    The animated Mach 5 boasted 50,000 horsepower, could fly through the air,
drive under water and jump great distances.

    "The Real Mach 5 has a lot of creative automotive engineering," noted Mark
Towle, Chief Engineer.  "While the car looks and performs much like the
animated Mach 5, we have also added little details, like the remote control
homing device and the periscope the Mach 5 uses when running under water."

    With an estimated worldwide fan base of more than 50 million people, Speed
Racer, created in 1967, is considered by many to have the most famous vehicle
in the world.

    "More people can tell you the name of Speed Racer's car than any other
racecar in the world," said Jim Rocknowski of Speed Racer Enterprises,
official licensing company for Speed Racer properties.

    For the Mach 5 auction, the highest bidder will agree to loan the famous
car to CSN for a period of eight months while it wraps the final dates of a
national child safety tour.  Throughout last year, the car has been an
attention-getter for CSN as they distribute free child safety information and
the latest automotive safety information developed by The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration.

    CSN will receive 20% of the proceeds from the auction of the Mach 5.

    Once the safety tour has wrapped, the real Mach 5 will be delivered to its
new owner by cast members Peter Fernandez, original voice of Speed Racer and
Racer X, as well as Corinne Orr, voice of Trixie, Mom Racer, Chim Chim and
various female characters.  This event will take place at a fully catered
Speed Racer-themed Party.  The one and only prototype will be signed by
Fernandez and will come complete with a signed Speed Racer helmet.

    "Driving the Mach 5 is a childhood dream for millions of Speed Racer
fans," noted Peter Fernandez.  "Being a part of fulfilling such a dream is
going to be a real kick."  In addition to voicing the famous lead, Fernandez
also wrote and directed all 52 classic episodes, named all of the characters
and wrote the famous theme song "Go Speed Racer Go."

    CSN is a charitable trust founded in 1989.  It is dedicated to promoting 
safety and protection of children throughout the United States.  Its main focus 
is to reduce the likelihood of children becoming abused, abducted or injured.  
More than 170 U.S. representatives including the office of the President have 
written letters of endorsement for CSN's decade of community service.